Super VGA (SVGA) is a broad term that covers a wide range of

computer display standard Computer display standards are a combination of aspect ratio, display size, display resolution, color depth, and refresh rate. They are associated with specific expansion cards, video connectors and monitors. History Various computer displa ...

s that extended IBM's

VGA Video Graphics Array (VGA) is a video display controller and accompanying de facto graphics standard, first introduced with the IBM PS/2 line of computers in 1987, which became ubiquitous in the PC industry within three years. The term can no ...

specification. When used as shorthand for a resolution, as VGA and XGA often are, SVGA refers to a resolution of 800×600.

History

In the late 1980s, after the release of IBM's VGA, third-party manufacturers began making graphics cards based on its specifications with extended capabilities. As these cards grew in popularity they began to be referred to as "Super VGA." This term was not an official standard, but a shorthand for enhanced VGA cards which had become common by 1988. One card that explicitly used the term was Genoa's SuperVGA HiRes. Super VGA cards broke compatibility with the IBM VGA standard, requiring software developers to provide specific display drivers and implementations for each card their software could operate on. Initially, the heavy restrictions this placed on software developers slowed the uptake of Super VGA cards, which motivated

VESA VESA (), formally known as Video Electronics Standards Association, is an American technical standards organization for computer display standards. The organization was incorporated in California in July 1989To retrieve the information, searc ...

to produce a unifying standard, the

VESA BIOS Extensions VESA BIOS Extensions (VBE) is a VESA standard, currently at version 3, that defines the interface that can be used by software to access compliant video boards at high resolutions and bit depths. This is opposed to the "traditional" int 10h BI ...

(VBE), first introduced in 1989, to provide a common software interface to all cards implementing the VBE specification. Eventually, graphics adapters under the Super VGA umbrella would support an innumerable quantity of modes.

Specifications

The VBE standardized the following resolutions: * 800 × 600 with 4- and 8-bit color depth * 1024 × 768 with 4- and 8-bit color depth * 1280 × 1024 with 4- and 8-bit color depth SVGA uses the same DE-15

VGA connector The Video Graphics Array (VGA) connector is a standard connector used for computer video output. Originating with the 1987 IBM PS/2 and its VGA graphics system, the 15-pin connector went on to become ubiquitous on PCs, as well as many monitor ...

as the original standard, and otherwise operates over the same cabling and interfaces as VGA.

Early manufacturers

Some early Super VGA manufacturers (in parentheses, some of their models, where available) were: * Ahead Technologies (''Not related to

Nero AG Nero AG (known as Ahead Software AG until 2005) is a German computer software company that is especially well known for its CD/DVD/ BD burning suite, ''Nero Burning ROM''. The company's main product is Nero 2019, a piece of software that comp ...

(formerly Ahead Software)'') *

Amdek is a Japanese manufacturer of electronic musical instruments, electronic equipment, and software. It was founded by Ikutaro Kakehashi in Osaka on 18 April 1972. In 2005, its headquarters relocated to Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. It has fa ...

(VGA ADAPTER/132) * AST Research, Inc. (VGA Plus (rebranded Paradise)) *

ATI Technologies ATI Technologies Inc. (commonly called ATI) was a Canadian semiconductor industry, semiconductor technology corporation based in Markham, Ontario, Markham, Ontario, that specialized in the development of graphics processing units and chipsets. Fo ...

(VIP (82C451 (1987)), VGA Wonder) *

Chips and Technologies Chips and Technologies (C&T), founded in Milpitas, California in December 1984 by Gordon A. Campbell and Dado Banatao, was an early fabless semiconductor company. Its first product, announced September 1985, was a four chip EGA chipset that ...

(82C451 (1987)) * Cirrus Logic (CL-GD410/420 (1987)) *

Compaq Compaq Computer Corporation (sometimes abbreviated to CQ prior to a 2007 rebranding) was an American information technology company founded in 1982 that developed, sold, and supported computers and related products and services. Compaq produced ...

(VGC Board) *

Everex Everex ("Ever for Excellence!") is a defunct American manufacturer of desktop and notebook personal computers. It was established in 1983 and headquartered in Fremont, California. The company was founded by Steve Hui, John Lee and Wayne Cheung ...

* Genoa Systems (Genoa VGA 5100-5400 (ET3000)) *

Orchid Technology Orchid Technology was a privately held company founded by Le Nhon Bui in 1982. History 1982 to 1984 The company's original flagship product was its PCNet card, a 1 megabit-per-second LAN (networking) card for IBM PCs and clones. Notably, the acro ...

(Designer VGA (ET3000), Pro Designer Plus) *

Western Digital Western Digital Corporation (WDC, commonly known as Western Digital or WD) is an American computer drive manufacturer and data storage company, headquartered in San Jose, California. It designs, manufactures and sells data technology produc ...

's Paradise Inc. (VGA Plus (PVGA1 (1987)),VGA Plus 16, VGA Pro) *

Sigma Designs Sigma Designs was an American public corporation that designed and built high-performance system-on-a-chip semiconductor technologies for Internet-based set-top boxes, DVD players/recorders, high-definition televisions, media processors, digital ...

(SigmaVGA (ET3000)) * STB Systems (VGA Extra/EM (ET3000 (1987))) V-RAM VGA (1988)) * Willow (VGA-TV/Publisher's, VGA-TV + Genlock) *

Trident Microsystems Trident Microsystems was a fabless semiconductor company that in the 1990s, it became a well-known supplier of integrated circuits (commonly called "chips") for video display controllers used in video cards and on motherboards for desktop PCs ...

(TVGA8800, TVGA8900, and TVGA9000 series)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Super Video Graphics Array Computer display standards VESA